Susceptibility Study of UAV GPS Positioning Module Under Electrostatic Discharge

Abstract

In order to study the electrostatic discharge (ESD) failure mechanism of the unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) GPS module under normal working conditions in the shielded room, an equivalent test system is proposed. By using the contact discharge and assess the effect of the UAV under ESD interference, the effectiveness of the equivalent test system was verified. The control test has been used to determine the failure threshold of UAV GPS module. The failure threshold of the UAV GPS module is 3200V, which indicates that the GPS module in the UAV system is sensitive to ESD interference. In case of the lower electrostatic discharge voltage, the positioning error increases and the number of satellites received decreases. ESD interference may even cause the flight control module to malfunction. These results can be referenced in the electromagnetic compatibility design of UAV systems.